Travis Wetland Monthly Newsletter January 2019

January 2019

Workday reminder, January 19 2018

Meet at the Education Centre (the old farm house) near the Beach Rd car park at 9 am.

We will be release weeding and/or pulling Convolvulus in the shadiest place we can find, if it’s hot.

Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear.

All tools provided.

Afterwards we will go back to the Education Centre at the wetland for morning tea and a chat.

Latest News

Work day Saturday 18 December

Education Centre at Travis Wetland

The last workday of the year was sunny and mild and 16 people turned up to help. A paradise duck with 5 young was pottering around the edge of the car park to greet us. Our task was to attack convolvulus from the track edge near the Inwoods Road entrance. In places the land drops steeply from the track down to a waterway, so part of the challenge was not to fall in to the murky water.

Soon we had worked up a good sweat removing a variety of weeds including mallow, hemlock and cleavers. Convolvulus was prolific in water’s edge Carex and it was hard to keep dry feet while reaching for it. The climbing weed was also reaching up into the taller trees. Pleasingly much of it was at flower-bud stage, so we hope to have prevented some spread of seed.

Ranger John was kept busy poisoning blackberry and Denise excelled herself by removing a tall and very heavy plum tree. Colin Meurk and a Lincoln PhD student, who is completing a thesis on the red zone, were present to identify any unusual plants for us.

Christmas cake

Cleared areas looked good with lush growth of Tōtara and Olearia thanks to our wet spring weather. The Wai-Ora weed control team will do further work in this area early this year, particularly on control of blackberry and honeysuckle.

Lunchtime rewards for our work were plentiful with a delicious BBQ and salads, chocolate cake, cheescake and home-made ginger beer. Thanks to Al our BBQ chef, all who brought food and, of course, those who got dirty attacking the weeds.

Article: Sue Britain, Images: Grahame Bell

Bad news for cleavers weed

Cleavers infested with Galium gall mite

At our December workday Colin Meurk told us about a new arrival at the wetland which may slow the growth and spread of the annoying clinging weed Galium aparine, commonly known as cleavers.

Close-up of infested cleavers

A tiny mite, about 0.3mm long, has somehow arrived by natural means and is causing the leaves of cleavers to roll inwards forming leaf galls. The Galium gall mite comes from Europe and is now widespread around the Auckland area. It has recently been observed in Christchurch too. The mites have pointed mouth parts which pierce young leaves to obtain sap. During this process mite saliva passes into the leaves and causes leaf curling, producing galls which are a safe home for the mites. It is thought that mites can spread to other plants via wind dispersal.

Galium gall mite about 0.3mm long

Hopefully the mite will spread through Travis wetland cleavers plants, slowing their growth and making it harder for them to climb up and cover native shrubs and trees.

There is an excellent Landcare Research Factsheet on Galium gall mite available online which has some excellent photos of the mite and its effects.

Article: Sue Britain, Images: Grahame Bell

New picnic table at Travis

Mairehau Rd picnic table

The resourceful CCC rangers have made and installed a new picnic table near the Mairehau Rd car park. It looks a bit strange at first, but caters to visitors in wheelchairs. Patients from the spinal unit at Burwood Hospital are often seen at Travis Wetland and access for them has been improved in recent years. We hope to see some of them using the new table soon.